Why a trade for Darrelle Revis will be difficult to pull off

March 1, 2013 10:29 AM ET

There are so many hurdles when it comes to trading Darrelle Revis. Some believe he just isn't tradable. Others think it could happen, but it's doubtful. Just because multiple teams talked to the Jets about Revis doesn't mean a trade is imminent. Here are the issues that make this a tough deal to ever come together.

1. The contract. From the day he was drafted money has been an issue. He got a rookie deal over the slot he was in and it sent a bad message. He threatened a long holdout a few years later and got an above-market deal, again sending the wrong message. That deal had a "no franchise" clause in it which makes it tough to trade him under this contract.

Of course, Revis wants more money now and a new club better be ready to make him the highest-paid corner in history. What makes matters even tougher is Revis, not the Jets, will control where he winds up.

No team is going to give the Jets the compensation they want without a new deal with Revis. All Revis has to do is not negotiate with a team looking to trade for him and the trade falls apart.

2. Age and injury. Revis is 28 and coming off an ACL injury. Champ Bailey was 25 when he was traded to the Broncos and he was healthy. A team is going to have to pay Revis without knowing if he's 100 percent after his surgery. That's risky business and to say Adrian Peterson came back quickly isn't a good enough reason to say Revis will return to his old form.

The age issue is only a factor because the new contract will clearly take him past his 30th birthday. Not the biggest problem, but when the other option could be drafting a 22-year-old with a bargain salary, it will factor into a team's decision.

3. Compensation. The Jets don't intend to give Revis away, especially with a head coach trying to turn around the problems of 2012. The Jets simply don't have many playmakers on the roster, and Revis is one of them.

The Jets should expect a minimum of two high draft picks for Revis. How many teams are really willing to give up their first and second, plus a high pick next year? The salary cap is going to be close to flat over the next few years and teams have to look at contracts down the road or they will find themselves cutting veterans to get under the cap.

4. The competition. The Ravens just won the Super Bowl with Cary Williams, Corey Graham and Jimmie Smith as their top corners. The combined salary for the three players was less than $5 million last year. Having a lockdown corner like Revis is great but at what cost to the rest of the team?

Revis would look at $5 million as his salary for five games. As one coach said, "Darrelle is a great player, but we can always throw the other way."

Finally, a trade could happen if Revis lowers his demands, the Jets lower their demands, and a trading club doesn't want to wait for him to come free in 2014. Revis had 14 interceptions in his first three years in the NFL and five picks in the past three years. I might want to use my draft picks on young players, watch Revis in 2013 to see if he shows up with his present contract and plays well coming off the ACL. If all goes well, then get in a bidding war for his services in 2014.

Pat Kirwan has been around the league since 1972, serving in a variety of roles. He was a scout for the Cardinals and Buccaneers, a coach for the Jets as well as the team's Director of Player Administration where he negotiated contracts and managed the team's salary cap. He is the author of Take Your Eye Off the Ball: How to Watch Football by Knowing Where to Look, and the host of Sirius NFL Radio's Moving the Chains.